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Frequency and percentage of respondents by gender for the five selected faculties of dental medicine.
Source publication
The central role of the dentist in the treatment of oncology patients is to care for the patient’s oral cavity before, during, and after radio/chemotherapy. The aim of this research was to determine the knowledge of dental students from five universities in three neighboring countries, Croatia (Split, Rijeka, and Zagreb), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sa...
Context in source publication
Citations
... Other studies have examined medical emergencies in dental practice (Firić 2022), emergency procedures for dental trauma among pediatricians (Nikolic et al. 2018), and occupational injuries among Croatian dentists (Savić Pavičin et al. 2020). Further research has investigated dental students' knowledge of dental care for oncology patients (Pedic et al. 2021) and the need for improved dental record maintenance for forensic purposes (Savić Pavičin et al. 2021). Given that undergraduate training focused on manual canal instrumentation using the step-back technique was only recently supplemented with engine-driven instruments and techniques, it is not a surprise that its adaptation has not yet been investigated. ...
Objective
To assess the state of endodontic practices and identify factors influencing the use of modern endodontic techniques among dental practitioners in Croatia.
Materials and Methods
A questionnaire was distributed to all dental offices in Croatia, yielding 819 responses (27% response rate). Data were descriptively analyzed and statistically modeled.
Results
Nearly 74% of endodontic treatments in Croatia are performed by general practitioners (17 teeth per month per practitioner), while endodontic specialists handle the highest number of treatments per specialist (67 teeth per month, representing 15% of total treatments). 56% of respondents use radiography before the procedure “always” or “almost always” with intra‐oral periapical radiography being the most commonly used technique. Rubber dams are used “never” to “rarely” by 74% of respondents. Apex‐locators are highly prevalent, used “almost always” to “always” by 83% of practitioners. Magnifiers are rarely used, with 63% of respondents reporting they “never” use them. Lasers are never used by 92% of respondents, whereas 59% frequently use engine‐driven instrumentation. 76% of respondents “always” or “almost always” determine the working length of the root canal. Sodium hypochlorite is the most common irrigant (88%), and EDTA for smear layer removal is used by 36% of respondents. The cold lateral condensation is the most popular obturation technique (64%). CBCT is unused by 59% of responders, most probably because it is not accessible.
Conclusions
Croatian endodontic practices are comparable to those in countries with similar economic status, but there is substantial potential, particularly among general practitioners, to enhance knowledge and awareness of modern technologies through continuous education. Underused techniques in Croatia include rubber dams, magnifiers, lasers, and CBCT.
... Other studies have examined referrals for surgically managed endodontic cases [33], the preparedness of dentists to handle medical emergencies [34], and the knowledge of pediatricians in managing dental trauma [35]. Occupational injuries in dental practices [36] and dental students' awareness of oncology patient care [37] have also been researched. In addition, research has highlighted the adoption of new endodontic techniques in Croatian dental practices [38], as well as the need for further CPD on maintaining dental records for forensic purposes [39]. ...
AIM: This study aims to assess the state of endodontic continuing education (ECE) among dental practitioners in Croatia and identify factors influencing participation in such education. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all dental offices in Croatia, yielding 819 responses. The data were analyzed descriptively and statistically modeled. RESULTS: Most respondents had participated in some form of ECE during their careers. However, in the past 5 years, only about 78% had engaged in such education, with participation decreasing by 2% for each additional year of practice. Male practitioners had significantly less continuing education in the past 5 years, particularly in private clinics, dental clinics with concession contracts, and certain regions. Practitioners who performed more endodontic treatments reported higher levels of continuing education. The endometer was the only modern technique consistently used by about 60% of practitioners with continuing dental education. CONCLUSION: Continuing education in endodontics should be more strongly promoted among practitioners with longer careers, particularly men.
... In the present study, the range of correct answers was between 40.03 and 52.05 in the different parts. It seems that the knowledge in this study is insufficient, which is compatible with the findings of Pedic et al. [28]. Male students had a much greater level of knowledge in our study. ...
... According to the study by Pedic et al. [28], 96.7% of Sarajevo students, and in the study by Alqahtani et al. [20] in Saudi Arabia, 97% of people working in the dental profession agreed with the need to evaluate the oral or teeth of patients before radiotherapy, which is almost consistent with the findings of the current study. Oral evaluation before cancer treatment is necessary to prevent and treat dental problems to avoid possible complications during cancer treatment. ...
... In this study, 41.4% of the patients gave correct answers about the radiation dose that led to osteoradionecrosis. The findings of the study by Pedic et al. [28] showed that the percentage of correct answers at 5 universities was between 35.5 and 62.5%, which is similar to the findings of the present study. Moon et al. showed that the frequency of mandibular osteoradionecrosis is currently a low and modifiable risk factor; for example, tooth extraction before radiotherapy, smoking, and radiotherapy are related to mandibular osteoradionecrosis [15]. ...
Background
The dentist's central role in treating head and neck cancer patients is to care for the patient’s oral cavity before, during, and after radio/chemotherapy. This research aimed to determine dental students' knowledge about head and neck cancer patients’ dental care.
Methods
One hundred and four fifth and sixth-year dental students participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that collected demographic information (gender, year of study) and four questions consisting of attendance to courses or workshops, passing a dedicated course at the university, willing to participate in a course or workshop on the treatment of head and neck cancer patients and self-evaluating information about the treatment of head and neck cancer patients. Final part 36 questions about oral and dental care for head and neck cancer patients before, after, and during treatment. The data were analyzed with SPSS 26 statistical software and using t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression at the 0.05 significance level.
Results
Most of the participants were in their sixth year (48.9%). A total of 48.1% of the people reported that their information about dental treatments in patients with head and neck cancer was bad. 85% of participants agreed with the necessity of evaluating the patient's mouth and teeth before starting the treatment. The lowest percentage of correct answers was related to the ideal duration of tooth extraction and a poor prognosis before the start of cancer treatment. The regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between years of education, willingness to participate in courses, and students’ knowledge evaluation and knowledge.
Conclusion
The findings showed that students’ awareness of oral and dental treatment and care for patients with head and neck cancer is insufficient. It is recommended that teaching staff pay more attention to the lack of knowledge and effort to educate students by holding special courses and workshops.
Purpose
The aim of this study was to assess head and neck cancer (HNC) knowledge and awareness among dental students and dentists in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey was carried out between October 2022 and February 2023. 310 undergraduate students at the faculty of dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, as well as general dentists and consultants working either in the University Hospitals, public hospitals, or private clinics in Makkah were included in the study. The survey consisted of 26 questions divided into three sections: demographics, knowledge, practices and attitudes toward HNC early detection and management. Descriptive statistics were presented for the knowledge and attitude and Chi-square test was used to identify correlations, P value ≤0.05 was considered significant.
Results
Out of the 160 completed questionnaires, the majority of the participants were female (63.1%) and undergraduate students (77.5%). Regarding HNC general knowledge, acceptable levels were reported, however, the results showed a significant lack of knowledge concerning oral cancer complications and their association with cancer and cancer therapy. Additionally, there was no significant difference between males and females in the knowledge score (p=0.82) or attitude score regarding oncology patients (p=0.5). There was a significant difference in the overall knowledge between specialists and consultants (p=.0.04) compared to students, and general dentists. Knowledge was found to be directly proportional to individual’s experience.
Conclusion
All participants had good general knowledge of HNC; however, they lacked sufficient knowledge about complications of cancer-associated therapy. HNC educational programs mostly in diagnosis, management, and prevention are required. Furthermore, there is a need to emphasize participation of graduated and practicing dentists of all levels of experience in future studies.
